Palm Beach County SHIP Roof Repair Assistance: Who Qualifies, the Dates, and What to Have Ready

What the program is

The Palm Beach County Department of Housing and Economic Development (HED) announced $4,000,000 in State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) funds for its Owner Occupied Housing Rehabilitation Program. The full notice is on the county’s SHIP page.

The program helps extremely low, very low and low income homeowners fix code violations and conditions that threaten the life, health or safety of the people living in the home. The county’s list of eligible work includes roofing, electrical, plumbing and hurricane hardening such as impact windows and doors.

Two things to know up front. The county says a household may only receive enough funding to bring the home up to current code and make it habitable, so $100,000 is a ceiling, not a set amount. And once the portal closes, the county selects 50 applications at random.

The dates

• Application portal opened: Monday, November 9, 2026 at 12:00 PM
• Application portal closes: Friday, November 27, 2026 at 11:59 PM
• Last mandatory orientation: Wednesday, November 18, 2026 at 12:00 PM

The orientation is virtual and it is required before you submit an application. Registration is not required. The WebEx link and the dial-in number are on the county’s SHIP page. Your orientation certificate is the first item on the county’s required-documents list, so do not miss the November 18 session.

Who qualifies

These are the county’s main requirements:

• You own the home and live in it. It must be a structure of one or two dwelling units. Mobile homes produced after 1994 are included.
• You have lived in the home at least three years before the application date under a recorded instrument, and you have a homestead exemption.
• Your household income is at or below the county’s limit. The low income (80%) limits listed are $71,950 for one person, $82,250 for two, $92,550 for three, $102,800 for four and $111,050 for five.
• The assessed value of the property does not exceed $434,000.
• Your mortgage payments, property taxes and homeowners insurance are current. If you have no homeowners insurance, the county says the program may use part of the award to pay a one-year premium.
• You are within the county’s asset limits. The notice lists a $200,000 figure; see the county page for how assets are counted.
• There is no existing Palm Beach County rehabilitation or repair mortgage lien on the property.

Three things that can affect eligibility:

• Unpermitted work. The county states that if there is unpermitted work on the property, the property may be ineligible. Liens or judgments can also be a problem. The county inspector decides case by case.
• Adjoining roofs. If your unit shares a roof with a neighbor, all owners must be income certified. If the other owner will not participate, assistance is limited to the interior and the non-adjoining exterior of your unit.
• Mobile homes. If the estimated repair cost is more than 50% of the home’s estimated fair market value, rehabilitation assistance is not provided, and the county may refer you to its replacement housing program.

What to have ready

The county publishes the full list of required documents. The main items:

• Your mandatory orientation certificate
• Driver’s license or state ID for every adult in the household
• Birth certificate, U.S. passport or naturalization certificate for every household member, or a permanent resident card for non-citizens
• Proof of income for every working adult: an employer-signed Verification of Employment or the most recent 30 days of pay stubs
• Social Security, retirement or disability award letters
• Bank and investment statements for all accounts, all pages
• Most recent tax returns, all pages, signed and dated, with W-2s or 1099s
• Copies of all mortgages and warranty deeds
• Homeowners insurance declaration page
• Most recent mortgage statement

Start gathering these now. The window is less than three weeks long, and some of these take time to request.

Where your roof fits in

Here is the straight version. The county chooses the contractor. The notice says the work will be performed by a state certified licensed contractor, or a contractor licensed to do business in Palm Beach County, procured by the department. A roof inspection report is not on the county’s required-documents list, and since selection is random, no report improves your odds.

What an inspection does is tell you where your roof stands before you apply. That helps in three ways:

1. You can describe the problem accurately. “The roof leaks” is different from “the underlayment has failed at the valley above the back bedroom.”
2. You can look up your roof permit history at the same time. The county says unpermitted work can affect eligibility, so it is better to know before you apply.
3. You have a plan if you are not one of the 50. Many leaking roofs need a targeted repair, not a replacement, and a documented inspection shows you which one you have.

We inspect roofs across Palm Beach County at no charge and document what we find with dated photos and written findings. You can request a free roof inspection here. If your roof is older and insurance is also a concern, see how our roof certification works and use our roof-age documentation checklist.

How to apply

1. Attend the virtual mandatory orientation on Wednesday, November 18, 2026 at 12:00 PM. The link is on the county’s SHIP page.
2. Gather the required documents.
3. Apply through the county’s online portal at https://pbcgov.com/HED before Friday, November 27, 2026 at 11:59 PM.

Questions about the program go to the county: Palm Beach County HED, Mortgage and Housing Investments Division, (561) 233-3600. The county notes that translation services are available at that number.

Common questions

A note on this article

Mike McGilvary Roofing, Inc. is not affiliated with Palm Beach County or the SHIP program and does not process applications. The program details above come from the county’s published notice and required-documents list as of November 12, 2026. Confirm current details with HED before you apply.

For a free, documented roof inspection anywhere in Palm Beach County, call (561) 856-5060.

Mike McGilvary

Owner – Mike McGilvary Roofing, Inc., Florida Certified Roofing Contractor CCC1331721.

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